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Buying an LC500 over an Eray because of rear seats is a stretch as the seats are useless. If what you really want is a Sports Car, get the Eray. If what you really need are rear seats in a sporty car then just get something with actual useable rear seats.
If what I really needed were 4 doors and some "sportiness" without the BMW or Cadillac ownership side effects the Lexus to buy would be the IS500 F-Sport Performance. You still get the same 5.0L V8 as the LC, Toyota quality and more than enough non-track focused but sport infused 4-door sedan driving with every possible option - including the factory BBS black forged wheels - for $70K. Then when you no longer need a useable back seat and/or have an extra garage space now add the Corvette.
The point of the LC500 isnt really the back seat. It's that it is an overall better grand tourer and more unique than a C8. It is slower for sure, as the C8 is a true sport grand tourer where as the LC is merely a grand touring 2+2 coupe.
But on a long road trip the wife could recline her seat WAY more in the LC. And it has substantially more cargo capacity if using the rear seat for cargo (not an adult human , he has a truck for that).
If OP is more performance oriented, I'd go stingray and skip the eray. If he wants all weather handling AND speed, Eray. If he wants the most comfy grand tourer that is still sporty and has far more "uniqueness/rarity", the LC is a solid choice.
There's a reason it is the ONLY car I cross shopped vs my 2022 C8 and the ONLY car I would consider keeping for 10+ years of any of the current "new car" offerings circa 2024-2025.
And the customer experience at a Lexus dealer is LIGHTYEARS beyond that of all but the top 1% of chevy dealers. Hell even our local Toyota dealer puts 90%+ of chevy dealers to shame when it comes to the experience with the service dept (guaranteed loaners, far nicer lobby and dealer areas, more competent techs typically, etc).
If the C8 werent such a damn good bang for buck out of the box no one would even give it a chance. Imagine if a base stingray were as pricey as most of its competitors. It is a phenomenal bargain, but more and more I consider all the after-the-sale experiences, and that is where GMs halo car falls short.
I was driving a 10 year old SLK55 in early 2024 and my experience at the local MB dealer was no different than someone with a brand new G-wagon. Chevy really needs to consider moving the Vette up market for the service experience.
I've had C8 Stingray, Z06 and E-Ray. To me, the E-Ray is the best suspension available for the street in a widebody car. The Z06 IMO is too stiff even in its softest setting if you live somewhere with less than perfect roads (i.e. anywhere north of TN/OK). Tour (softest) in the E-Ray is noticeably better ride quality (back to back 500 mile drives between the two), and Sport is also very usable on street.
Agreed. And went through a similar progression and came to the same conclusion. If you want a vette? Right now? The E-Ray does it all and better than others. Unless a pure track toy.
If you want to scare yourself half to death when you get rambunctious? C7Z manual.
Originally Posted by Phil1098
Why does a Tesla Plaid fall out of bed like a stone in value? When a $100k car isn't worth half that in three years, it's a hard pass. Must not be as great a demand as some think.
Buy a used plaid in the low 50k range and never look back. My buddy owns tune time performance. A hi perfomance gm/mopar shop been around 20yrs. He has a modified TRX, a twin turbo C8 (Yenko's protoype - his shop does the head work for all of their gms) and a Plaid.
He drives the Plaid everywhere. It ruined him for speed. Yet as comfortable as a cadillac and droves itself. They come to his house or shop to fix it. One of his customers has a modified 720s and it only hangs with the plaid on the go and needs cool down in between runs even on the move. Nothing touches the plaid.
He says the top Lucid is way nicer but its way it's much for the small advantage over a low to mid 9 second 150mph sedan.
I always need a vette in my life. If I get over that obsession? I would do a plaid.
I have had several Lexus vehicles over the years and I looked at the LC again before ordering my 2024 Corvette. It is a beautiful car. The tech feels very dated compared to a C8. It felt very much like a car at the end of its life cycle. I see they have finally done away with the horrible touch pad on the console to control the screens - I had an RCF and it was frustrating to use when anything but the softest suspension was selected. The main reason I sold our RCF after only a few years was the lack of torque on the low end from the Lexus 5.0. It just wasn't as fun to drive compared to the V8 and turbo 6 cars I have had. The LC is a beautiful car to look at though. Just my two cents.
If you're looking for a GT Luxo cruiser the LC500 or mildly used BMW M8 will be your thing.
If you're looking a more of purist sports car experience with exotic looks, the Lotus Emira, without the looks the BMW M2 will do.
If you're looking for a GT Luxo cruiser the LC500 or mildly used BMW M8 will be your thing.
If you're looking a more of purist sports car experience with exotic looks, the Lotus Emira, without the looks the BMW M2 will do.
The OP already stated 10 posts ago that he is keeping his truck to haul the kids. I did not know he had a truck but if in the same situation as his that's what I would do. Buying a "sports sedan" is a not a good trade-off if what you really want is a sports car.
In my younger days, I, too, had trouble making up my mind. I stuck to the two-seat (one-seat) problem and let my wife decide the four-seat issue. 25 years later, I have a '21 Stingray and she has a Mustang Mach E.
Last edited by Tonycan; Jul 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM.
Reason: spelling
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
